PESHAWAR: A steep increase in prices of live chicken/meat, pulses, black tea, vegetables, edible oil/ghee, sweet/ confectionery items, dry-milk, packed milk and other important daily use items in the open market; it was revealed in a weekly survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday.
On a visit to the local market by this scribe in the local market it was witnessed that prices of almost all essential food items rose exponentially.
On the other hand, shopkeepers warned the prices would further increase in the coming days as the government increased general sale tax from 17 to 18 on various items through a recently presented mini-budget. Buyers complained the vendors were charging them with self-imposed prices, according to the shoppers; authorities have failed to enforce official rates in the markets.
Price of live chicken has risen up at Rs455/kg which was selling at Rs350/kg a few days back, while a dozen of farm eggs are being sold at Rs300/310, Chinese hen eggs at Rs450/dozen and original hen eggs at Rs600/dozen, the survey noted.
Similarly, the butchers have continuously defied the official rates and charged buyers with self-imposed prices.
Milk sellers did not jolt the inflation-hit people by raising the price of milk from Rs160/180 per litre to Rs200/litre. Also, the price of yogurt was increased to Rs200 from Rs160/kg.
Likewise, the price of baby-dry milk and packed milk were also sharply increased in the local market, it has been witnessed from Rs50-100 per ml increase was registered in different brands of the baby milk and packed milk. Also, a noticeable increase in the price of baby diapers was witnessed in the open market.
According to the survey, boneless cow meat was available at Rs800/kg and with bone at Rs700/kg against the official fixed price of Rs380/kg.
The survey noted price of a good quality (sela) price has increased at Rs320/kg from Rs300/kg, while low quality rice was available at Rs 290-300 against price of 260-280/- per kg, while tota rice was available at Rs150/kg and Rs160/kg in the previous week.
Similarly, price of dal mash has increased at Rs420/kg from Rs400/kg, dal masoor at Rs320 from to Rs280/kg, dal chilka (black) at Rs280/kg from Rs260/kg, dal chilka (green) from Rs220/kg to Rs240/kg, moonge from Rs230/kg to Rs240/kg, dhoti dal from Rs240/kg to Rs280/kg, dal channa at Rs280/- per kg, white lobiya from Rs220/kg to Rs240/kg, gram flour (baisen) from Rs260/kg to Rs280/kg, red bean from Rs300/kg, big-size white channa from Rs350/kg to Rs38o /kg, small-size white channa from Rs250/kg to Rs280/kg, the survey said.
A further increase from Rs10-20 per kilo/litre increase in prices of different brands and varieties of edible oil and ghee was witnessed in the retail market, the survey noted.
According to the survey, the price of black tea has also further increased at Rs1600/kilo against the price of Rs1400/kilo in the previous week. Price of green tea, Kenyan tea and others also increased.
Meanwhile, the bakery owners and sweet sellers/houses have also increased confectionery items and sweets owing to rising prices of maida (Fine flour).
Likewise, the price of baby-dry milk and packed milk were also sharply increased in the local market, it has been witnessed from Rs50-100 per ml increase was registered in different brands of the baby milk and packed milk. Also, a noticeable increase in the price of baby diapers was witnessed in the open market.
On the other hand, prices of flour remained unchanged in the market. A sac weight 80-kg flour has once again increased by Rs13,500/, which had dropped at Rs 12,000/- while an increase from Rs100 per 20kg fine flour bag was also noticed, rising up to Rs2400-2500 from Rs2300/- while red-colored flour was being sold at Rs2000-2100/- per 20 kg sac. Flour is being sold at Rs150 per kilo in the retail market, the survey noted.
According to the survey, prices of vegetables are sky high in the local market as onion is being sold at Rs250/kg, while ginger available at Rs420/kg and garlic being sold at Rs400/kg in the retail market, the survey noted. However, the price of tomato is reasonable as available at Rs50-60 per kg in the open market. Cucumber was being sold at Rs40/- per kilo, while green chili was available at Rs 150-180/- per kilo whereas a one-kg lemon priced at Rs 120-150/- and a bundle of radish available at Rs 100-120/-, the survey noted.
Similarly, the survey said peas are selling at Rs80-100/- per kg, capsicum at Rs150/- per kg, tinda at Rs80/- per kg, arvi at Rs150/- per kg, cabbage at Rs80/- per kg, cauliflower at Rs60/- per kg, bitter gourd at Rs120/- per kg, long gourd at Rs80/- per kg, bringle at Rs60/- per kg, turnip at Rs 80-100/- per kg, red-colored potatoes available at Rs50-60/- per kg while white-colored potatoes are sold at Rs40/- per kg.
According to the survey, Afghanistan-imported red-apple is being sold at Rs 250-300/- per kg, golden-colored apple was available at Rs200/- per kg, pomegranate at Rs 200-250/- per kg, guava at Rs150/- per kg, orange at Rs150-200 per dozen, fruiter at Rs100-120 per dozen, Kinnow at Rs150-200 per dozen, Banana at Rs 90-100/- per dozen.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023